There's a very common theme on sites like HN or reddit (and I'm not implying you're using it here, but your comment may at least suggest it - if not, forgive me, my comment is not directed at you specifically) that although western governments can be dicks, they are still nowhere near 3-rd world countries' governments when it comes to human rights and other things you, western countries' residents, take for granted.

However, in my view, the thing to realize is that almost all achievements the west made came not from a system of governance, but from individuals continuously restricting those who govern and from the entrepreneurial talent that flourished when government didn't bother them. To say that western governments are somehow better than a Russian government is to be ignorant. They only thing they are better at is lying and deceiving its people about its own importance to the society.